FitalyLetris for the Pocket PC

We are pleased to announce FitalyLetris for the Pocket PC, developed by Hannes Frischat and Andrew Rackcheev for Textware Solutions and released as a freeware.

Systematic lessons for the Fitaly input method have often been asked in the
past, and there have been several suggestions for a game-type training
program as Fitaly users not only want to get very fast but also want to reach
this state as quickly as possible. Now, here it is, and it is called FitalyLetris.

Write words that fall down...

The idea of FitalyLetris is to write the words that fall down. To complete a word, enter a space after it. Also, there are several modes  Test, Drill, Game  that focus on different demands and therefore handle speed and other parameters in different ways.

FitalyLetris is word-oriented  at places, even sentence-oriented. So you should not feel bound to enter character per character but learn to write words as patterns. This is key to improving your speed.

Actually, fast Fitaly users already identify the next word pattern on the Fitaly keyboard as they tap the current word.

As you type, the letters you typed are highlighted. When a word is completed, type a space and the next word gets to the bottom.

Use with all input methods...

In our first example, we showed FitalyLetris with the Fitaly keyboard. But FitalyLetris can be used as a training tool with all input methods. On the left, you can see it used with the Block Recognizer.

If you make an error, the mistyped letter appears on top of the word so that you can see what you typed.

You can now type the letter again, and hopefully correctly this time.

A large selection of tests

FitalyLetris comes with a large selection of tests. These include stock test phrases as well as the 125 and 400 most frequent words of the English language.

The Train menu includes additional tests that correspond to regions of the Fitaly keyboard and to special characters: Symbols.

You can also supply your own tests for the menu positions initially marked as Text 1 through Text 5. For example, on the left, Text 1 has been redefined as "My Own Test."

Watch your score...

Going to the Game menu allows you to display your High Scores, ranked by word per minutes, and showing the test title and the time with a 1/100 second precision.

Note that score tables are kept separately for each of the three modes of FitalyLetris.

See FitalyLetris Notes for more information on the Test, Drill, and Game modes.

Downloading and Installing FitalyLetris

Click on this link
FitalyLetris2_PPC_Setup.exe to download the 158KB FitalyLetris setup file and store it on some temporary folder on your desktop computer.
Then click on the name of this setup file in the Windows explorer and follow the step of the installer. That's all.

You can now start using FitalyLetris, train with it and measure your speed...

Plans...

This is the first release of FitalyLetris for the Pocket PC. You will be able to use FitalyLetris to train for the forthcoming Dom Perignon Contest that will start in November 2002. Separate awards will be made for participants using a Pocket PC, a Palm Organizer, or a thumb-board.

On the Pocket PC, you will be able to use a method of your choice: Fitaly, of course, but also Calligrapher, Letter Recognizer, Block Recognizer, the default Keyboard and other methods... But of course, you cannot use a Fitaly shortcut to enter the full test...